Jake Quickenden has put himself forward to do Strictly Come Dancing, and he’s very keen!
The I’m A Celebrity and Dancing On Ice favourite, 34, has done many reality shows over the last few years. But he still wants BBC bosses to sign him up for Strictly. (We do too!)
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Daily, Jake opened up about this year’s line-up and his desire to get his dancing shoes on.
Jake Quickenden on doing Strictly
The star and father-of-one is currently training for his first ever MMA fight, where he will make his debut at OKTAGON MMA 48, in Manchester, on November 4.
OKTAGON MMA has been documenting Jake’s MMA journey in their new show, Stage to the Cage. It will see top UK celebrities sacrifice everything and dedicate their lives to MMA for 10 months. They’ll then fight each other at the event.
Speaking about the sport, which Jake has been a fan of for many years, he said he’s found a “huge respect” for it. He told us: “I wanted to get into some serious shape. For me with anxiety and mental health, the best thing you can possibly do is get out in the sun, get out and do some work and do some exercise because you just feel better.
“It’s been five months of two sessions a day. I can’t get out of bed in the morning but I go again. It’s been really hard juggling it with everything else, with family and work life. But that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to make sacrifices. It’s given me a huge respect for the sport.”
Meanwhile, Jake opened up about other projects he’d like to do – including Strictly. When asked if he’d like to do Strictly, Jake said: “Yeah man, every year I want to do it. They never ask me. Well they’ve obviously broke the reality TV thing now because they’ve got Zara [McDermott] on. They had Jamie Laing on it,” referring to the reported ban on Love Island stars doing the show.
Jake added: “They just need to break the one where they said they can’t have anyone that’s been on Dancing On Ice on it and then I’d be the first one hopefully. You never know, they’re surely running out of people to go on it now so I might get a call one day.”
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On this year’s line-up, Jake already has one clear winner in mind too! He said: “Layton [Williams], he’ll win it. I’ve seen him on stage and he can move. He’s a nice kid. Jeff Brazier’s lad [Bobby Brazier], he’ll do good I think.”
Jake then quipped: “Adam Thomas is a mate of mine, he literally moves like a scarecrow so he’s got no chance. But he’s a lovely kid. I love that lad. Zara will probably do pretty well. I’m sure she can dance. But at the minute, I’d put my money on Layton.”
Away from work, Jake is a doting dad to his son Leo and loving stepdad to his stepson Freddie – the son of his wife Sophie. Speaking about juggling family life with work, Jake said: “It’s not too bad because I wake up at half five most mornings. I’ve already done a workout before anyone’s got up.
“Then I can have breakfast with the kids and Soph. And then I’m not training again until six o’clock at night so I get to give Leo his food and then Sophie just puts him in the bath and gets him ready for bed.”
The TV star also gushed over how becoming a dad has changed him. He told us: “I think it’s totally changed me. It’s made a better person. I was never selfish but I think maybe a little bit selfish. I put myself first whereas now, Leo, Freddie and Soph always come first.
“Any decisions I make they’re in the back of my mind. They’re the ones I’m doing it for. I just love being a dad.”
Just love him!
Read more: Phillip Schofield’s Dancing on Ice replacement revealed? ‘I won it so I might as well present it!’
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